26 March, 2016

Dr. C. Rangarajan
Chancellor
University of Hyderabad
Dear Dr. Rangarajan,
We have learnt with dismay about the attack by the police on students at the University of
Hyderabad on 22 March, 2016. We understand that there may have been acts of destruction
by some of the students, and we strongly condemn such acts. It is arguable whether it was
necessary to call the police to deal with the students. However, having called the police, the
administration of the University should have ensured that the police force did not make a brutal
assault on the students. The Vice Chancellor and the administration of the University failed in
this respect, as the ensuing heavy-handed police action proves. We strongly condemn the attack
by the police, and the failure of the administration of the University to prevent it.
We would like to make the following points about the immediate repercussions of the events
of the 22nd:
1. Several students and two members of the faculty of the University have been detained by
the police. We request you, and the administration of the University, to take every possible
measure to secure their release, and to get them back to the University at the earliest.
2. Some students were injured in the police action, and have been receiving medical treatment
at the Universitys Health Centre, and in private clinics and hospitals. We urge that all
available help be extended to these students, and we request you to ensure their well-being.
3. We understand that some students who have been protesting are worried about their
future in the university, and fear retribution from the administration. It is imperative that
their fears be assuaged, and that students are not penalised for legitimately voicing their
political opinions, or for challenging the University establishment.
4. There was no food or water in the student hostels, and the connection between the University campus and the Internet was closed down, for two days after the 22nd. This is a form
of collective punishment. We condemn it, and ask the administration of the University to
see that such acts of punishment do not recur.
We have the following points to make in the general context of the stormy events at the
University:
1. The direct cause of the events on the 22nd was the resumption of office by P. Appa Rao, the
Vice Chancellor of the University. A judicial enquiry has been initiated by the Ministry
of Human Resource Development, Government of India, into the events around Rohith
Vemulas suicide, and Prof. Appa Rao is one of the central figures in those events. There
is a case against him under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, and another under the laws relating
to abetting a suicide. In these circumstances, it is utterly inappropriate for him to occupy
the office of the Vice Chancellor of the University, and we demand that he relinquish that
office forthwith.
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2. There has been almost no progress in the police cases against Prof. Appa Rao, whereas the
police have been quick to act on the protesting students. We demand that this imbalance
be redressed, and that the cases against Prof. Appa Rao be speedily brought to their logical
conclusion.
3. The protest by the students on the 22nd grew out of the events that led to Mr. Vemulas
suicide. Issues of systematic injustice against Dalits, and of attempts by certain groups of
students of the University to disrupt the activities of students whose opinions they oppose,
have repeatedly surfaced in the discourse following Mr. Vemulas suicide. We ask the
administration of the University to seriously address these issues.
4. A troubling feature of the events at the University is the frequent reliance of the administration of the University on the police apparatus. We feel that the police have no place in
an academic campus, and should be called upon only in rare circumstances. We, therefore,
request you to have the police removed from the campus of the University.
The University of Hyderabad is one of the important educational centres of the country.
For that reason, we hope that you, and the administration of the University, will do everything to provide the students of the University the freedom, and the consideration, that are a
distinguishing feature of a great academic institution.
Yours sincerely,

1. A. P. Balachandran, Syracuse University, Emeritus faculty

2. Abani K. Bhuyan, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
3. Abha Dev Habib, Miranda House (University of Delhi), Faculty
4. Abhishek Atreya, Abhishek Atreya, Postdoctoral fellow
5. Akavoor Manu, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Research scholar
6. Alka Acharya, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
7. Alladi Sitaram, Indian Statistical Institute, Retired faculty
8. Alok Laddha, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
9. Amber Habib, Shiv Nadar University, Faculty
10. Ameet Parameswaran, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
11. Amitabh Joshi, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Faculty
12. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
13. Ananyo Maitra, Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and Statistical Models, Paris, Researcher
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14. Anindita Bera, University of Calcutta, Research scholar

15. Anindita Bidisha Chatterjee, Wildlife Institute of India, Research scholar
16. Anindita Brahma, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
17. Anindya Bhattacharya, University of York, Faculty
18. Anindya Datta, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
19. Ankan Paul, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Faculty
20. Anupama Potluri, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
21. Apoorva Nagar, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Faculty
22. Archana Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
23. Arnab Rai Choudhuri, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
24. Ashoke Sen, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
25. Atul Chokshi, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
26. Aurnab Ghose, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Faculty
27. Ayesha Kidwai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
28. B. Ananthanarayan, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
29. Bhanu Pratap Das, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, Faculty
30. Bidisa Das, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Scientist
31. C. M. Chandrashekar, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
32. C. S. Rajan, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
33. Chandan Singh Dalawat, Harish-Chandra Institute, Faculty
34. Chandra Kant Mishra, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
35. Debjani Sengupta, Indraprastha College for Women (University of Delhi), Faculty
36. Deepak Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
37. Dileep Jatkar, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
38. Dinesh Mohan, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Retired faculty
39. Enakshi Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Faculty
40. Faraz Ahmed Inam, Aligarh Muslim University, Faculty
41. Feroz M. H. Musthafa, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, Technology manager
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42. G. Arunima, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty

43. G. Vijay, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
44. Garga Chatterjee, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
45. Gaurav Mendiratta, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
46. Girish Kumar Chakravarty, Physical Research Laboratory, Postdoctoral fellow
47. Gopal Guru, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
48. Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
49. Joby Joseph, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
50. Joseph Samuel, Raman Research Institute, Faculty
51. Jenny Sulfath, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Research scholar
52. Jishnu Dey, Presidency University, Guest faculty
53. Jyoti Dalal, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Research scholar
54. Kannan U. M., Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Research scholar
55. Karan Namdeorao Khirade, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Research scholar
56. Karen Gabriel, St. Stephens College (University of Delhi), Faculty
57. Kaushik Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
58. Kishor V. Salunkhe, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Research scholar
59. Koel Das, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Faculty
60. Kuntal Ghosh, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
61. Lalit Shukla, Physical Research Laboratory, Research Scholar
62. M. V. Ramana, Princeton University, Faculty
63. Madhusudhan Raman, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
64. Mahan Mj, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
65. Maitreyee Saha Sarkar, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Faculty
66. Malancha Ta, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, Faculty
67. Md. Shah Alam, Jamia Millia Islamia, Research scholar
68. Md. Wali Hossain, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Postdoctoral
Fellow
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69. Mrinmoy Mukherjee, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Research Scholar
70. N. Raghavendra, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
71. Narayanan Menon, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad, Faculty
72. Naresh Dadhich, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Emeritus faculty
73. Naveen Gaur, Dyal Singh College (University of Delhi), Faculty
74. Nihav Dhawale, National Centre for Biological Sciences and Yale University, Research
scholar
75. Nirmalya Kajuri, IIT Madras, Postdoctoral fellow
76. Nur Jaman, Jamia Millia Islamia, Research scholar
77. Oindrila Deb, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
78. Padmini Swaminathan, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, Faculty
79. Parameswaran Sankaran, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
80. Parasar Mohanty, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
81. Partho Sarothi Ray, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Faculty
82. Pinaki Banerjee, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
83. Pinaki Chaudhuri, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
84. Prabhu Nott, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
85. Pradipta Bandyopadhyay, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
86. Pratik Majumdar, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Faculty
87. Pratiksha Baxi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
88. Procheta Mallik, Innovation and Science Promotion Foundation, Researcher
89. Prajval Shastri, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Faculty
90. Pranav P. Manangath, University of Western Ontario, Canada, Research scholar
91. Prasenjit Sen, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
92. Prathyusha K. R., University of Dundee, Postdoctoral fellow
93. Proteep Mallik, Azim Premji University, Faculty
94. Pulak Banerjee, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
95. Qamar Nasir Usmani, Jamia Millia Islamia, Faculty
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96. Rahul Pandey, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Visiting faculty

97. Rahul Siddharthan, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
98. Rahul Varman, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
99. Rajesh Gopakumar, International Center for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
100. Ramesh Bairy T. S., Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
101. Ramesh Sreekantan, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, Faculty
102. Ranjani Mazumdar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
103. Ravi Kunjwal, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
104. Remya Nair, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Postdoctoral fellow
105. Resmi Lekshmi, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Faculty
106. Rohan D Souza, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University,
Faculty
107. Rukmini Dey, International Center for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
108. Rusa Mandal, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
109. S. Akshay, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
110. Sabiha Majumder, Indian Institute of Science, Student
111. Saikat Ghosh, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
112. Samriddhi Sankar Ray, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
113. Sandeep Krishna, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty
114. Satadal Ganguly, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
115. Satyajit Chowdhury, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Research scholar
116. Saumyajit Bhattacharya, Kirori Mal College (University of Delhi), Faculty
117. Shahana Bhattacharya, University of Delhi, Faculty
118. Shambhavi Prakash, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
119. Sharath Jose, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Research scholar
120. Sharmila Purkayastha, Miranda House (University of Delhi), Faculty
121. Sharmila Sreekumar, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
122. Shiva Shankar, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
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123. Shubha Tewari, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Faculty

124. Sibasish Ghosh, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
125. Siddharth K. J., Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Research scholar
126. Sirisha Naidu, Wright State University, Faculty
127. Siva Athreya, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, Faculty
128. Somnath Basu, R. K. M. Vivekananda University, Faculty
129. Srikant Sastry, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Faculty
130. Subhashis Banerjee, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Faculty
131. Sudipta Bandyopadhyay, University of Calcutta, Faculty
132. Sugata Ray, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Faculty
133. Suman Ganguli, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
134. Sumathi Rao, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
135. Sumilan Banerjee, Weizmann Institute of Science, Postdoctoral fellow
136. Sumit Kumar, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
137. Supratik Chakraborty, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
138. Supratim Sengupta, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Faculty
139. Sundar Sarukkai, Manipal University, Faculty
140. Suresh Govindarajan, Indian Insitute of Technology Madras, Faculty
141. Susmita Sarkar, University of Calcutta, Faculty
142. Sushmita Venugopalan, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Visiting faculty
143. Sutirtha Dutta, Wildlife Institute of India, Project scientist
144. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
145. Swagato Sanyal, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Research scholar
146. T. R. Govindarajan, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
147. Tabish Qureshi, Jamia Millia Islamia, Faculty
148. Tamoghna Das, NIST and University of Maryland, CNST-UM fellow
149. Tanmay Deshpande, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
150. Tanmay Mitra, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
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151. Trisha Nath, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar

152. U. K. Anandavardhanan, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
153. Upayan Baul, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
154. V. S. Sunder, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
155. Vijay Ravikumar, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
156. Vikram Vyas, St. Stephens College (University of Delhi), Faculty
157. Vinay Kumar Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
158. Vipul Vivek, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Postgraduate student
159. Vishnu T. R., Chennai Mathematical Institute, Research scholar
160. Vishwesha Guttal, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
161. Yogish I. Holla, Tata Institute of fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
The signatories are listed in the alphabetical order of their names. Institutional affiliations
of the signatories are given only for purposes of identification, and do not indicate the official
positions of these organisations.